Vinyl acetate is a relatively inexpensive material from which polymers may be produced. Heretofor, polymerization of vinyl acetate produced molecules of relatively high viscosity, and having low hydroxyl functionality. Such characteristics of polyvinyl acetate make it undesirable as a polyol, and more particularly undesirable for use in the production of urethanes. Further, vinyl acetate is a monomer with relatively low reactivity and thus the polymerization of such a monomer requires a great deal of heat or excess quantities of initiator.
Thus, polymers of vinyl acetate which have relatively low viscosity, have acceptable functionality, and require relatively low heat or acceptable amounts of initiator to produce would be advantageous as polyols, and more particularly for use in the production of urethanes.